The word diakonia is the Greek word for service and sums up in one word the nature of Christian ministry. The last thing we fallen humans like to think of is serving others, instead our instinct is to seek power, wealth, status, and influence. Thinking and acting like a servant requires our minds to be transformed and our physical limitations to be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit must create in our hearts and minds a new, independent perspective: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). Next, we need the Holy spirit to provide the energy in our lives to begin to lead and manage in ways that truly glorify God.
The examples of servant leaders are numerous in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. From the Old Testament examples emerge two significant themes. First is the Levitical priesthood which was consecrated by God to serve the Children of Israel. Examples of the duties of the Levitical priesthood include: the teaching of the Law, offering sacrifices, maintaining the tabernacle and the temple, officiating in the Holy Place, inspecting ceremonially unclean persons, and they adjudicated disputes. It is important to note that all of these duties are in service to the people as the priests mediate God’s presence among the Israelites. The Levitical priests derived their very identity from their service to God and God’s people.
However, no Old Testament passage exemplifies servant-leadership like Isaiah 53 and the portrait of the “suffering servant” we see there. Of significant note are verses 4 and 5 which state, “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” Isaiah 53 paints a picture of a servant willing to give all for those served, which is in stark contrast to the way most humans live their lives; seeking to be served, desperately reaching for the next rung on the ladder of success.
Jesus himself condemns this form of power-over that seeks to subjugate others and elevates the needs and wants of the master over the servant. In Luke 22:14-34 he vividly sets forth the foundation for living the Christian life, that is, seek to serve. Seek to empower others, meet the needs of others, and descend from your perceived place of prominence and live as a servant whose only purpose in life is to satisfy others.
John Wesley recognized this and, in what is generally referred to as “Wesley’s Rule”, stated, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Wesley urged other Christians to not just concentrate on saving their own souls, but also to reach out to others in need by visiting prisons, giving practical help to the poor, educating those of lesser means, etc.
The Biblical witness and our own experience and traditions give us ample reason to believe that the role of the Christian minister is that of “servant-leader.” However, we must be careful not to allow one system of subjugation to be replaced with another. We should continue to ask ourselves serious questions about the intent of our “servant-hood.” Are we seeking to use servant leadership as just a rung on the ladder of spiritual progress, leading to the eventual “reigning with Christ” so often spoken of? Do we place ourselves in the position of servant-leader to gain some sort of cosmic advantage over those who we could not otherwise subjugate? Or are we truly seeking to imitate Christ and in so doing give our very lives in service to God and to others. The human condition requires that we continue to learn what it means to respond authentically to each other to avoid replacing one form of domination with another.
Even if there are questions regarding what it means to be a servant, the call is clear. Following Christ’s example, we are to give our lives in service to others. As a provisional member, my role as a servant takes a distinct form – word, sacrament, order, and service. My responsibilities will be to preach and teach, administer the sacraments, assist in the administration of the Church through pastoral guidance, and lead my pastoral charge in service ministry to the world. All of this is an expression of “love of God and neighbor” lived out as service to others